Until the Stars Stop Shining
by Nattou
Summary: Its been four whole years, and he has something special up his sleeve ZV


**AN: **So this is my attempt at a zac and vanessa anniversary fanfiction. Hope you enjoy :) Please review.

**Disclaimer: **This is a derivate piece of fiction featuring real people. The author is not affiliated, nor knows any of the following people - including their friends and family - on a personal level - Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Kenny Ortega, nor any other celebrity mentioned throughout this piece of work. This work is solely intended for posting on Fanfiction, for the benefit and enjoyment of its intended audience. No commercial or financial benefit accrues or is intended to accrue to the author as a result of said posting. Any unauthorized copying or redistribution of this work might subject the party responsible for such unauthorized copying or redistribution to legal action by the owners of the aforementioned copyrights and trademarks.

**Until the Stars Stop Shining**

Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly.

~Rose Franken

The road made a sharp turn in front of the car and Zac slowed down as they rounded the corner. Beside him he heard Vanessa groan as one of the wheels hit yet another hole in the old forest road. He couldn't help but grin as she looked at him with a pout. She had been grumpy ever since he declared that he would not be telling her exactly where they were going, and after three hours on a bumpy road her mood certainly hadn't improved.

"You know…if I didn't know you better I'd be worried that you were planning on killing me and dumping my body in the forest…Ooof!" another hole. "Where the heck _are _we Zac?"

He chuckled.

"I told you, Van. It's a surprise."

"What if I don't want to be surprised?"

"You love them and you know it. Hold on." With that the car took another sharp turn. The surrounding forest grew denser and as the sun set into the water, somewhere in front of them; barely any light seeped through nature's thick roof. Zac flicked on the stronger headlights and glanced at the clock. They had about an hour left until they reached their destination, by then it would be completely dark outside. He sighed. They should have left earlier.

"Zac?" Vanessa asked tentatively, moving her eyes from the road until they rested on her boyfriends face.

"Yeah, babe?"

"Do you know where you're going?"

"Don't worry, Van."

"But it's getting dark," she said, worry evident in her voice. Shooting her small smile he let go of the steering wheel with his right hand and squeezed her leg reassuringly.

"I know, but it's just about an hour left, and we're just supposed to follow this road till it ends. There's not much that can go wrong, babe."

She gave him a skeptical look, but stayed quiet.

Approximately 50 minutes later Zac killed the engine outside a pitch black cottage. Vanessa squinted her eyes as she tried to take in her surroundings, but lack of daylight made it practically impossible. As she stepped out of the car, a yawn escaped her and she heard his distinct chuckle.

"Tired?" he asked, appearing next to her with both their bags slung over his shoulder.

"Uhu, what time is it?"

"Just after 10. Come on, you're going to love this place."

She smiled up at him and fluttered her eyelids.

"Are you _finally _going to tell me where we are?"

"Looks like I have to…it's not as self explanatory as I had hoped it would be. If it was a little lighter outside you'd be able to see the sea from here. See over there? Where it gets even darker?"

"Yeah."

"That's the sea, if we're lucky we might see whales."

"Really?! Oh my gosh, that's so cool."

Zac grinned at her excitement and placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her towards the front steps Letting his hand drop, he fished out the set of keys he had been given and unlocked the door. They were met with complete darkness, but Vanessa was quick to find the light switch right next to the door.

She couldn't help but gasp when she saw the room they were standing in. Dark stained beams supported an equally dark roof, while the wooden walls were painted a soft white. Five big windows were accompanied by a set of French doors she guessed led out to the deck on the other side. The window sills were stained in the same dark color as the roof, something which gave the room a real cozy aura. A stone fireplace stood in the middle of the wall to her right, and surrounding it were three light grey couches. Tea-light candle holders were lined up on the mantelpiece, and various other candlestick holders were placed around the living room area.

"It's beautiful…" she whispered as she felt Zac's hands sneak around her waist.

"I figured we needed a weekend away. Somewhere far away from prying eyes," he said and planted a soft kiss on her bare shoulder. Vanessa smiled before turning around in his arms.

"You're amazing. Do you know that?" she asked, watching as color slowly crept up Zac's face. "You're adorable," she said and stood up on her tiptoes. Her lips brushed across his in the gentlest way and she could feel his arms tighten around her body, much like the first time he had kissed her…

_She was soaking wet. Her sweats clung to her small frame as she sprinted across the parking lot, Zac hot on her heels._

_The rain bounced off the pavement and she squealed as her foot landed in puddle that was slightly bigger than she had thought. _

"_Damn! You're fast for a girl!" he exclaimed as they came to an abrupt halt in front of her trailers door. She just grinned before she threw the door open and stepped inside. The warm trailer air surrounded them immediately and Zac quickly turned to close the door. Turning around, Vanessa took in his messy appearance and smiled softly while biting her lip. He had tried to shake the water out of his hair, and as a result it now pointed in every direction known to man. His white t-shirt was practically see-through and it seemed to be glued to his upper body. Her eyes trailed upwards and it was as if the air was knocked out of her when her brown orbs met his sparkling blue ones_

"_Van?" he asked. _

"_Hmm?" _

_He took a step closer. _

"_You alright?" _

_She shuddered as he brushed a stay piece of hair away from her eyes, his hand lingering on her cheek. _

"_Yeah…" _

_Their eyes locked and Vanessa was sure she stopped breathing. The warmth from his palm sent goose bumps shooting down her arm and she shivered, despite feeling hot. _

_Warm fingers trailed from behind her ear to under her chin where they gently tilted her face upwards. _

"_I think I'm going to kiss you…" he whispered. _

_Vanessa's eyes fluttered close and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. They had spent weeks upon weeks flirting and as his lips descended onto hers, she felt about ready to explode. Tingles spread throughout her body and she stood up on her tiptoes as her arms snaked around his neck, her fingers diving into his wet locks. _

_The kiss was gentle, soft, and absolutely perfect. _

_A cool feeling spread on her cheek as his hands completely abandoned her face, only to send new sparks flowing when the touched her waist…gently pulling her closer. _

They broke apart and Vanessa sighed softly.

"Are you hungry?" Zac asked his voice barely above a whisper.

"Way to ruin the moment Efron," Vanessa giggled, nudging his nose with her own. He grinned and planted another kiss on her lips before detaching himself from her.

"Hate to break it to you babe, but you can't live on love," he said with a wink, making Vanessa laugh out loud.

"Oh my god, Where do you get these lines from?" she asked between giggles.

"Don't you wish you knew?"

"Go make some food you cheese ball."

Zac laughed and wandered into the kitchen.

"Grilled sandwiches sound ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll just go find the bedroom and unpack our stuff."

"Ok. What do you want on yours? Ham or Salami?"

"Ham, please."

"Gotcha."

~*~*~¨

The rain made a gentle pitter patter sound on the roof when Vanessa crawled into bed that night. The small bedroom was painted in the exact same style as the living room, and she had fallen in love with it at once. The intricately carved bed frame was stained to match the roof, as were the bedside tables and the chest of drawers. The sheets and curtains were all white, and Vanessa savored the feeling of the soft mattress as she let her body relax against Zac's.

"This place is perfect…" she said quietly.

"_You're _perfect."

Vanessa blushed.

"No I'm not."

"Yes, you really are," he said and pulled her closer.

"You can be so cheesy when you want to be."

Zac chuckled.

"Ever thought that I might just be telling the truth?"

Instead of fighting back like she would usually do, Vanessa sighed happily and cuddled into his side, her head resting on his chest.

"In that case, you're pretty perfect as well…best boyfriend ever," she said before kissing the spot right under her chin. "And I love you so much."

"I love you too, baby."

Nothing more needed to be said after that. The gentle tapping above soon lulled the couple to sleep, knowing that tomorrow they didn't have to do anything they didn't want to do.

~*~*~

It was the bright sun that woke Zac the next morning. He wasn't entirely sure what time it was, but the brightness of the sun made him pretty sure that it was considered acceptable to be awake. Glancing to his right he was met with the sight of his sleeping girlfriend. He still couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was he found so fascinating about watching her sleep, but it was something he had done since the first time they shared a bed.

Never in his life had he seen anyone looking so peaceful and beautiful while sleeping and he had an inkling suspicion that he wouldn't find anyone else until the day they had baby.

Smiling slightly he looked down at Vanessa. He knew that she was his one. He might not give off that vibe to the public, but he knew that she knew, and that was the important thing. The rest of the world needn't know a thing as long as she did. One day he could see himself proposing to her, watching her walk down the aisle, and he could see himself cuddling a baby. _Their _baby. None of those visions were in the very near future, but they weren't that far away either. It was something he had thought more and more about as their four year anniversary came closer.

Four years.

1461 days.

35064 hours.

2103841 minutes.

126230400 seconds.

In some ways it felt like an eternity, in others it was as if they met yesterday.

Tracing the outline of her face with a gentle finger he wondered how many kisses and cuddles they had shared in that time frame. How many times he had said he loved her. Probably not enough.

Her eyelids fluttered and he grinned.

"Morning sleeping beauty," he whispered and was rewarded with a tired smile.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"Don't know."

"Were you watching me sleep again?" she asked, reaching for his hand and entwining their fingers.

"Maybe…"

"It's kind of creepy when you do that."

"You should be used to it by now," he said and gently kissed her nose.

"I should, shouldn't I?" another yawn escaped. "Do we have plans for today?"

"No. Today we can do whatever we want, exactly when we want."

"Mmm, then I vote we stay here for a little longer," she mumbled and snuggled closer to him.

"Not going to argue with you there, Van."

~*~*~

Vanessa's eyes widened as dry stick snapped in two under her foot, making the 700 pound grizzly bear turn its head and look directly at her.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed stepping back to hide behind her chuckling boyfriend.

"You know it can't hurt you right, Van?"

"You don't know that…the guides don't carry guns for nothing you know!"

"They're across the river babe, and we're standing on a secure platform," he said as he pulled her to his side, kissing her head fondly.

"Bears are really good swimmer…not to mention climbers. Did you know that a bear can swim over 60 km a day and run 30 mph?" she asked smartly as if to prove a point.

"You're cute when you're scared."

"I'm not scared…" she mumbled and let her eyes focus on the grizzly that was busy hunting for fish. Fishing the camera from her purse she quickly turned it on and zoomed in on the bear. As scary as it was to see the animal she had grown up fearing, up close, she couldn't help but be excited too. They were after all very cute.

It was Zac who had come up with the idea to go bear watching when they had realized that doing absolutely nothing was a little boring. He had called up the _Aboriginal Journeys _main office and managed to get them two tickets to join in the _Grizzly Bear Journey _later that same day. That was where they were now, on an observation platform somewhere within the Orford River Valley, watching the wildlife around them.

"Vanessa?"

"Hmm?"

"Look over there…by the big log. There's a little cub there," Zac whispered in her ear as he moved to stand behind her, guiding her arm in the direction of the little bear.

"Oh my god…it's so cute!" Vanessa sighed, leaning her back against Zac's chest as she snapped picture after picture of the small brown creature. "It looks just like Koda."

"Koda?" Zac asked.

"Yeah, you know, from _Brother Bear._"

"Babe, you watch way too many _Disney _movies."

"I do not. Ask Ash, she'll agree with me…oh! Look at it! It's trying to fish! That's the most adorable thing ever!" Vanessa gushed, suddenly leaning over the railing to get a better view. Zac grinned and tightened his hold around her waist. Smiling at the sensation, Vanessa extended the arm that held the camera and pointed it towards them and snapped a picture.

"Beautiful," she stated as Zac planted a kiss on the column of her neck.

"Come on, Van, the groups heading off towards another location. The second guide is waiting for us," he said and reached for her hand. Entwining their fingers he pulled a slightly reluctant Vanessa towards the trail and what he guessed would be another magnificent experience.

~*~*~

The sound of burning logs filled the air as the sun sank slowly into the sea. The sky was painted in several shades of pink and Vanessa sighed softly as she rested her head on Zac's shoulder. After returning home from their day in the wilderness, Zac had made a fire in the fire-pit and to stay true to camping traditions they had decided to cook dinner over the flames. The hot dogs they had roasted had now been replaced with marshmallows and Vanessa erupted in giggles as Zac's marshmallow caught fire and turned into black goo.

"Not funny, baby," he said in fake sternness, laughter bouncing in his eyes.

"Yes it is. Look at it…oh my gosh! Zac blow it out!" she exclaimed as flames started licking the stick he was holding. Zac chuckled before blowing out the flames in one blow.

"Ugh, I think I need a new stick. I'll never be able to get that stuff off," he said, moving to stand up.

"No, no, no, no, don't move! I'm comfortable…we can share my stick."

"Really? You're sharing candy?" he asked raising an eyebrow, earning him a hit across the chest.

"Be nice or you won't get anything."

Laughing Zac wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his chest. He savored moments like these; when it was just him and her, and nothing else seemed to matter. Careful not to draw her attention he slid his hand into his coat pocket and fiddled with the golden chain that lay hidden within. It was a simple necklace, surprisingly simple some would say, at least for someone with a bank account the size of his, but he had learned long ago that the price tag meant little when it was bought with love.

"Ooof…if I eat another one of those I think I might throw up…" Vanessa mumbled.

"Ok, removing the sweet stuff now. I think you've had enough."

"I think so too."

"I cannot believe you just agreed with me there."

"Don't tell anyone…"

"I won't," he mumbled, lips brushing her temple. As they sat there in silence, watching the sun as it disappeared from view; Zac pulled out the chain from his pocket and held it directly in front of Vanessa's eyes.

He heard the silent intake of breath before she gingerly moved her hand touch the small golden butterfly that swung gently from side to side.

"Zac…" she whispered.

"I…uh…saw it and thought of you," he said, blushing slightly.

"It's beautiful…put it on me?"

Zac smiled and twisted his body slightly as she sat up. Unclasping the chain, he lifted it over head as she moved her hair out of the way. Once safely secured she turned back to him and smiled widely.

"Thank you," she said before leaning forward, planting a soft kiss on his lips. They had kissed millions of times, but at the simple touch Zac's stomach filled with butterflies. He hadn't brought her out there just for the fun of it, and although he hadn't told her that, he knew that she knew. Whether she knew the exact reason he wasn't sure, but either way it was time to come clean.

"Vanessa?" he said quietly, knowing that the usage of her full name would catch her attention.

"Yeah?"

Their eyes locked and his hand moved towards his right pocket.

"Do you know what this trip is about?"

Vanessa bit her lip, already fighting back the tears she knew would fall once he started talking.

"I think you know…but I want to tell you anyways. I know most guys don't remember anniversaries, you've said so yourself, but I _do _know what date Tuesday is, and I know that neither one of us can celebrate the way we want as we both have to work…so I thought we'd have an early celebration of sorts. This probably wasn't how you had envisioned our four year anniversary, and to be honest I hadn't either, but I love you Vanessa. I love you so much, and I wanted to do something special. Something that no-one could interrupt. Just me and you, and this was the best I could come up with..."

Vanessa chocked back a sob as the first few tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Baby don't cry, please don't cry."

With gentle fingers he wiped the tears away and cupped her face between his hands.

"I didn't want you to cry," he whispered before kissing her softly on the forehead.

"I wish I knew how to tell you how important you are to me, Vanessa. I've tried time and time again, but nothing can convey how much I love you. I just hope you know."

"I do…" she said quietly. "I love you too. I love you so so much…"

More tears fell and he stroked his thumb across her cheek.

"I have one more thing for you," he said quietly, finally fishing the blue velvet box out of its hiding place. "I'm not going to propose, but I will one day, you know that I will, but for now…just…open it."

Vanessa's hands shook as Zac placed the small box in the palm of her left hand. She knew it was a ring box, she'd realized the moment she laid eyes on it, and as she carefully lifted the lid she could feel her heard beating fast and hard in her chest.

The gasp escaped before she had any chance of stopping it.

It was stunning.

Hidden within the little box was a simple gold band that held four small diamonds. All of the diamonds seemed to be _in _the ring itself and none stuck up like they would on an engagement ring.

"I…I…I…" she stuttered.

"It's an anniversary ring," Zac said and scratched the back of his neck. "One diamond for every year we've been together and for each new year another diamond will be added."

"You engraved something in it," she whispered.

"Yeah..."

Vanessa's eyes were swimming in tears as she looked at the simple word written inside the ring.

Forever.

Locking eyes with him, she carefully lifted the ring from the little cushion and placed it in Zac's palm.

"A girl should never place an important ring on her own finger," she said quietly, smiling as Zac's expression softened. She held out her left hand and saw him hesitating.

"Middle finger."

The cold band fit perfectly and she blushed as Zac raised her and to his lips and kissed the top. He really was a cheese ball, but he was her cheese ball, and as she settled back into his warm embrace she couldn't think of anywhere else she'd rather be.

Not now.

Not ever.

~*~*~

**AN: **There you have it :) Please tell me what you think


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